Expanding anchor



E. K. COLE EXPAND May 16, 1944.

ING ANCHOR Filed Jan. 30, 1943 Patented May 16, 1944 um'reo 'YSTATES. rATEN orries Elmer K. Cole, Centralia, Mo., assignor to A. B. Chance Company, Centralia, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January 30, 1943, Serial No. 474,082

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to expanding anchors, and is particularly concerned with the provision of improved expanding anchors of the type adapted to be carried by a guy rod. inserted into a bored hole in the earth, and thereafter expanded by tamping.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved expanding anchor of the class described, which is adapted to be constructed out of non-metallic material for the purpose of conserving metals required for other essential purposes during the war effort.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an expanding anchor of the class described, which may be constructed of'wood, and which is adapted to be manufactured with a'minin-iurn amount of labor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an expanding anchor of the class described, which is adapted to exert a maximum resistance to the pull of the guy rod, and in which the anchor wings are automatically separated and driven into predetermined anchoring position by tamping the top of the anchor assembly on the guyrod.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification:

. Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevaticnal view of the anchor shown in the anchor hole after the assembly has been tamped 'to spread the anchor I wings-into engagement with the side walls of the bore in the earth;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the anchor assembly as it appears before it has been tamped and before it is inserted into the anchor hole in the earth;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the anchor assembly of Fig. 2 with the guy rod in section;

Fig. is a side elevational view of the anchor assembly of 2 looking from the right hand side of Fig. 2; e I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational View of the expanding anchor assembly of the type shown in Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of a modification in which the anchor wings are made of one integral piece of material adapted to be split or separated by a spreading action of the wedge.

Referring to Fig. 1, is indicates in its entirety an anchor assembly carried by a guy rod II and upper surface 23 located in a diagonally expandingbore 12in the earth. The guy rod may be of any convenient type, but it is preferably of the type having a lower threaded end I3 and provided with a nut I4 threaded on this end; of the guy rod for engaging the lower face of the anchor assembly. The upper end of the guy rod is preferably provided with some form of eye structure for receivinga cable of which the guyis constructed.

The anchor assembly preferably ;;c omprises a wedging member I5 and a pair ;of expanding wings I6, H. The wedge member .;I.5,.ma y consistv of a substantially cylindrical wooden body, preferably constructed of relatively; hardand tough wood such as oak, the body being provided with an axially extending bore I8 for; passing the guy rod II. The lower face I9- of thewedging member I5 is preferably plane-for engaging the upper thrust surface 20 ofthe nut;I4,.but-in so zne embodiments of the invention thelowersurface I9 may be of other appropriate conformation The wedging body I 5 is preferably providedwith a pair of beveled camming surfaces 2!,22located diametrically opposite to eachother andr extend ing from a point adjacentthe lower face late-the of the wedge I5. -=lhese bev.el ed camming surfaces2 I 22 give the cylindrical body of the wedge I5 a tapered conformation. when seen in side elevationefrom one side as shown;in Fig. 2, but the cammingsurfaces 2I, 22 takathe form of come sections when seen from thefother two sides as show-n in Fig.4..

The camming surfaces 2 I 2-2 are also preferably plane surfaces for slidably engaging. th anchor wings I6, I1 and spreading. themv from. thelposition of Fig. 2 to that .of Fig. ,5..;%;The anchor Wings I6 and llmay be similar inisiz'e and sh'ape, but they are oppositely located on; the guyrod i I. Each of these anchor wings may cornprise, a substantially half-cylindrical vvoode n. member preferably constructed of the same woodas the wedge I5, and, provided with an axially located partially cylindrical groove 24, adapted to receive the anchor rod when the halvesareassembled.on it. The two wings I6 and I! may havethegroove of such depth that there is a. substantial crack 2.5 between the halves when assembled-on the guy rodII,asshowninFig.3. Attheir lower ends the two wings I6 and I] are also preferably provided with beveled camming surfaces 26, 21 for engagingtheupper co,r ners 28, 29 of the wedge I5 and initiatingthe expanding action. These camming surfaceggZt; 21 are also preferably plane surfaces. The wings I6, I! are preferably assembled on the guy rod by providing a frangible band 30 extending around the wings and holding them in camming engagement with the guy rod I I above the wedge I5, as shown in Fig. 2. This frangible band 30 may consist of a suitable wire or cord which is adapted to hold the wings in position until they are placed in the bore I2 in the earth ready for the tamping action.

Referring to Fig. 6, this is a modification in which the two wings I6, N form legs of one integral member indicated by the numeral 3 I. This member has an axially extendin slot 32 which extends upward over a substantial portion of its length, and gives the member 3| a tendency to split in half when it is subjected to the spreading action of the wedge I5. In such case the frangible band 30 may be omitted.

Referring to Fig. 5, this view shows the anchor in its expanded position with the wings I6 and I! driven into the side walls of the earth surrounding the bore l2.

The operation of my earth anchor is as follows:

The bore I2 is preferably of only slightly larger size than the external diameter of the wing assembly I6 and I1, shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 6. Thus the anchor wings are ready to engage the side walls of the bore as soon as any tamping action takes place and the anchor is adapted to utilize the engagement of the wings with the undisturbed earth surrounding the bore I2, since this portion of the earth is adapted to exert a greater resistive action.

The assembly is placed upon the guy red I I, as shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 6, and using the guy rod as a handle, the wing and wedging member are inserted to the bottom of the bore I2.

The tops of the wings I6 and I! are then engaged by a tampin member, preferably of considerable weight and of substantially the same shape so as to utilize the full end area of the wings. the tamping member having a slot for receiving the guy rod. The tamping then drives the wings downward, and their lower ends are cammed outward by the engagement of the sloping surfaces 26, 21 with the corners 2B, 29. The

tendency is for the band 30 to hold the upper portions of the wings together. As soon as the corners 28, 29 pass off the surfaces 26, 21, the wings I8 and H are acted on by the camming surfaces 2|, 22. The wings I6, I! are then guided downward and outward by the cammin surfaces 2| and 22, to the position of Fig. 5, where these wings are driven into the side walls of the undisturbed earth to effect a secure anchoring action. The anchor assembly is then covered with rocks and earth filling the bore I2, the fill being tamped downward to make it as compact as possible. The frangible band breaks or the body splitsas the wings spread.

The present anchor assembly has the advantage that it utilizes only wood in one of its embodiments and a minimum amount of metal in other embodiments where a metal band might be employed. It could be manufactured and sold at a relatively low cost as a substitute for the earth anchors of the prior art, which were usually made of metal such as no longer may be available as long as metal is required for the manufacture of arms. Even where metal is available, the present anchor may be constructed at a lower cost, as it is adapted to provide a maximum resisgnce against movement in proportion to its co I While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An earth anchor comprising a substantially cylindrical wedging body having an axially extending bore for receiving a guy rod, said wedging body having diametrically opposite sides thereof provided with beveled camming surfaces approaching each other toward the top of the wedging body, and a wing assembly comprising an integral member adapted to be split into a pair 01' separable members when driven onto the wedging body, said member having an axially extending bore for receiving the guy rod, said separable members being shaped to engage the beveled surfaces on said wedgin body whereby they may be guided and driven into embedding engagement with the walls of earth or the like surrounding the bore in which the anchor is placed, said separable members bein integrally joined together and formed of one integral cylindrical member provided with an axially extended slot.

2. An earth anchor comprising a substantially cylindrical wedging body having an axially ex-- tending bore for receiving a guy rod, said wedging body havin diametrically opposite sides thereof provided with beveled camming surfaces approaching each other toward the top of the wedging body, and a wing assembl comprising a pair of separable members having an axially extending bore for receiving the guy rod, said separable members being shaped to engage the beveled surfaces on said wedging body whereby they may be guided and driven into embedding engagement with the walls of earth or the like surrounding the bore in which the anchor is placed, said separable members being bound together by a frangible band adapted to hold the separable members together at the top said band being adapted to be broken when the wing assembly is driven down against the wedging body.

3. In an earth anchor, the combination of a guy rod provided with a lower threaded end and a threaded member carried by said end, with a substantially cylindrical wooden member having a pair of oppositely located plane beveled sides forming a wedge, said wooden member having an axially located bore receiving said guy rod, with a wing assembly comprisin two wing portions joined by a frangible connection at the top, said connection being breakable by driving the wings against the wedge so that the wings spread into two separate parts, said assembly being slidably mounted on said guy rod above said first wooden member, said wing assembly being formed in its lower surface with a pair of beveled surfaces en-' gaging the upper corners of said first wooden member and adapted to initiate the spreading action of the parts of said wing assembly whereby tamping on the upper plane surface of said wing assembly causes it to spread into two parts, increasing the effective size and engagement of said anchor with the earth.

ELMER K. COLE. 

